junk gardeing

What is “Junk Gardening”? And How to Make It Work For You

If you haven’t heard of junk gardening yet, allow us to introduce you. It’s a type of gardening that allows you to repurpose old items that you would otherwise throw out. Made popular by the book Garden Junk by Mary Randolph Carter, the look of “junk” among beautiful flowers and plants can bring an element of uniqueness to your garden.

The awesome thing about junk gardening is you can use just about anything to complement your garden space. Before you throw anything out, ask yourself- can I use this in my garden? Here’s how to make junk gardening work for you.

Examples of “Junk” You Can Use In Your Garden

Old Wooden Signs

Whether you have old wooden signs in your basement, or find some at an antique shop, they’re a great feature to add to your garden. Signs draw your eye upward, so are ideal if you have tall flowers like Russian sage in your garden.

Rustic Birdhouses

Another great addition to a garden is rustic birdhouses. They’re charming and decorative, and whether they’re still usable for their original function or not, you might as well keep them around. Stand them on poles in your garden or hang them on your garden fence!

Old Tires

If you have old tires, why not paint them and use them for growing herbs? Grow herbs like thyme, lavender, mint and sage in pots and place them in the colourful tires- make sure to also fill the tires with the same soil for good growth. The thick walls of the tires will keep the herbs from spreading beyond the given space.

Galvanized Buckets

Galvanized buckets work great as planters! Wherever you need a pop of colour in your garden, place a bunch flowers in galvanized buckets to give your garden some life!

Choose Where to Place the “Junk”

The items you use for junk gardening should be placed strategically in your garden. The idea is not to make them look out of place, but to feel like they belong there. Consider to overall shape, size and design of the object, as well as the size of your garden, to figure out where to place them.

If you have a garden fence, you also have more chances to decorate, hanging items on the fence. Work with what you have and use space to your advantage by placing your “junk” items in places that make them look beautiful.

How to Coordinate “Junk” with the Rest of Your Garden

With junk gardening, you want to make sure the “junk” fits in seamlessly, rather than standing out and actually looking like junk. Coordinate the colour of the items with the flowers and plants in your garden, and if you need to paint your “junk” objects, it’s a great DIY activity to do on the weekend! There’s lots of opportunity to create beauty within your garden, giving old items new use!

Are you ready to try “junk gardening”? Instead of throwing out old objects, ask yourself how you can use them in your garden, and create a unique garden you love!